The Day I Discovered Grandpa is Uncle Ruckus

I've never been a huge huge fan of the Boondocks, but in the few times I have watched it, one main character has managed the sear himself in the crevices of my memory: Uncle Ruckus. I didn't REALLY think older black people thought like this, or at least if they did, that perhaps his character was an over dramatization of a very small ounce of reality. Sure, I definitely have my moments of cursing our people who insist on fulfilling the negative stereotypes. But for an old school, pre-integration black person to adopt (and moreover express) black=inferior as their general school of thought seemed exaggerated to me. Until this past weekend when grandpappy paid us a little visit....

I don't really mind putting the old man on blast simply because he would have no problem owning up to his view points and explaining why black people aren't what's hot (to be diplomatic). In fact, he gave us a detailed lecture this weekend.....hence the emergence of the reality that is Uncle Ruckus. We were in NC to visit my parents this past weekend; all of us were sitting in the sun room lounging around when my fiance' mentioned that he is searching for a black dentist and black physician to go to in the DC metro area. Mind you my dad is a black physician in Greensboro so this question was more directed at him for some guidance. But alas, the first to respond is the bourgeoisieness that is my grandfather with some version of this (I don't remember exactly): "are you sure you want to go with black ones? I think you should look for some white ones too". Granted I've made comments about how black folk need to get it together and be more professional, but his response had a more emphatic tone to it. There it all was out in the open, his belief system: We'd be better off seeing a white dentist and physician. This was followed up with several examples (and many loud words from my mother, lol) of black employees he hired in the past that were unprofessional, made mistakes, and more importantly cost his business more money. Yes, I said it. HIS business. He is a black man who owned his own business for several years, yet takes comfort in the services of whites. What did he expect other people to think about him, the black service provider that he was? But I was surprised, and I probably should not have been. Granted it's this line of thinking that leads to the generational curse of lost identity that plagues our community. But to hear it in our very own sun room? I was never exposed to that kind of talk growing up from any of my own flesh and blood. He didn't come out and call us niggaz or coons, but he didn't really have to. To add insult to injury I also learned that weekend that my Grandmother voted for Hillary in the primaries. In reference to Obama she said, "I don't trust him". Go figure. Perhaps I am the last to figure this out, but I found the confirmation of Uncle Ruckus (and Ms. Ruckus) to be a bit disturbing, and yet at the same time, incredibly hilarious.